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> Hello all, I have a question about repairing a heavy sterling
> man's ring set with a lapis buff top stone. There is a crack in the
> middle of the ring shank... Is there a way to safely solder that
> crack with hard solder with the stone in place?
G'day; Yes there is but only if you have access to a really hot
oxygen boosted flame. Get a small shallow dish - a saucer will do -
and place the ring in it so the crack in the shank is at the top, and
cover the part with water which you don't want to get hot. Preferably
ice water. Even blue tack will hold it if you're quick with the torch.
Now flux the area around the crack and place a paillon of Easy solder
on it. Now comes the torch bit. You'll need a very hot, fine flame;
you won't get very far unless it is extremely hot. You can melt the
solder into the crack very quickly and remove the torch before the
head heats up.
If you have a 'third hand' clamping device, you can hold the ring
steady in the water with that, then when the crack is fluxed, pick up
a paillon of easy solder with a pick dampened in flux. Heat it until
it rolls into a ball; heat the ring with the very hot fine flame, and
holding the pick almost touching the crack, apply the ball to the ring
as soon as the flux goes clear. You need a very hot flame because
the silver will conduct a lot of heat down to the water very quickly
and it is a question of applying heat faster than it is conducted
away. Allow it to cool to room temperature still in the water. You
may pickle the shank afterwards, but take great care not to allow the
lapis to contact the pickle which will eat into it. Give it a quick
touch with a swiss file, go through the abrasive papers, polish, and
nobody will know. Unless they are another jeweller. -- John
Burgess; johnb AT ts.co.nz of Mapua Nelson NZ
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